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Independent Tool Review
by Peter Brett - February 2005
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01444 440188
Olfa PA-2 Professional
Multi-Blade Cutter
In the days before computers and word processing OLFA knives were the choice of graphic designers and layout artists everywhere. They were used to accurately cut out paper and print. Sharpness was an absolute requirement if the cut edge of the paper was not to show up in the galley print. Users were able to get a new edge without wasting steel by snapping off the point of the blade. It was a perfect blend of form and function.
Of course newspapers, magazines etc are now produced in digital media and layout artists work with mice rather than knives, but look in an artist’s studio and OLFA knives or similar are still being used because they retain the value and virtues they always had for people who need very sharp blades and the precise cuts that can be made with them.
The new OLFA PA-2 has many similarities with previous OLFA knives. It retains the familiar click stop action for advancing the blade very precisely, one segment at a time. This allows just the point to advance and supports the blade on the pre-scored snap-off line so that it won’t break off in use. Few other knives have such a smooth and precise action, so much so that designers I know sit and fiddle with the knives compulsively .The colour is the familiar OLFA yellow with black detailing and the whole design is light and elegant, and reflects the use and the users perfectly.
But I suppose OLFA must have been doing some homework and found out that modern users need a bit more from their knives. Where increasingly, time is money, having only a thirteen break-off segments per blade at is not enough for some. Accordingly the OLFA PA-2 has been designed to hold five blades in the handle, allowing 65 sharp edges available per fill. Enough, I would have thought, to satisfy even the most demanding user. What’s more, this has been achieved without adding significantly to the bulk and lightness of the original concept. It remains very easy to use, just snapping off points as you need to and exposing a new strip of blade by expelling the used one from the end and pushing the slider back up to the top of the handle. It is a simple but effective system, and works well because it is so precisely made. Without this precision, the OLFA would be one of the also-rans.
I should also comment on the sharpness of the blades. Some old timers say that you can check how sharp a chisel is by shaving a few hairs off your arm. Try it with the OLFA blades and you might think you were a surgeon. They really bring meaning to the term razor sharp. Viewed under a powerful magnifier the cutting edges looked smooth, ground almost to a polish. True sharpness can only be achieved by using a hard steel with a microscopic crystalline structure that will not look jagged under magnification. This should be precisely ground so that the edge is smooth and polished. It seems that OLFA follow in the Japanese tradition of sharp blades. Anyone who understands the making and use of traditional samurai sword and Japanese woodworking tools will appreciate how sharp these OLFA blades are.
Generously, I was sent about ten or so OLFA knives so that I could get some end user feedback on their qualities. The picture framer next door fell on his free sample and after a week’s use could not praise it enough. It reminded him of his previous career as a graphic designer and he was keen that the new style of knife retained the virtues of the old ones. Since he often tells me that the world is definitely getting worse and they don’t make things like they used to it was great to hear him so satisfied. He used it for cutting and trimming card mounts and paper and was dead pleased.
Three art students were the lucky recipients of an OLFA addition to their workboxes. One found not much to use his on, but the others used theirs for anything from sharpening pencils to cutting out stencils. Again, very good feedback, particularly on the sharpness of the cutting edges and the precise accuracy and lightness of the knife body. They also liked the way they could "extend the blade for different cutting tasks" i.e. sharpening pencils or pastels.
Some tradesmen were initially sceptical, thinking that the knives were too fragile to be used on site. However, they were able to find uses for the OLFA knives, particularly in precision applications where the larger craft knife blades were too clumsy or not sharp enough. One had fun making small mouldings fit precisely by literally shaving off transparent shavings on the mitred corners of mouldings.
DIYers generally don’t need much to spur them on to try out something new. The OLFA knives found favour with a few of them. The knives were used on small jobs like veneering, and cutting string etc and were praised for being light, easy to slip safely into your pocket and very sharp.
The last group of users I tried were a little more specialist. They were modellers and marquetry-makers. Sharp points and edges were very important to them. Precision points enabled very accurate work and cut a variety of materials used in modelling.
Based on this sample, OLFA knives in their new guise have proved to be as popular as ever. Quality and keen edges apparently never go out of style.
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